By Stuart Roach BBC Sport Online

Planners in charge of the development of the National Football Centre in Burton are confident the project will not be scrapped.

A planned programme of cost-cutting at the Football Association has threatened the development of the �70m academy.

But Peter Short, the principal planning officer at East Staffordshire Borough Council, believes Burton's dream will be realised.

Such a large investment has been made already that I would be surprised if they pulled out

Peter Short, planning officer

Crozier's departure has led to cost-cutting

Following the recent departure of chief executive Adam Crozier, Tuesday's meeting of the FA's executive board was expected to table money saving proposals to ease the FA's financial burden.

With the Wembley redevelopment project now a runaway train seemingly impossible to stop, Burton is the most obvious big-money project to target.

A senior official close to the Wembley project claims it would cost the FA almost as much to scrap the development as to build it, as it could be sued for several breaches of contract.

The FA has had to put about �100m of its own money - far more than originally expected - into Wembley and the ambitious �70m Burton project is now an added financial millstone around the Association's neck.

Yet freezing the development of English Football's answer to France's impressive Clairefontaine academy could prove a false economy, taking into account rising building costs.

"If it's decided to halt the project or put it on hold, that is really up to the FA," said Short, who is responsible for monitoring the project.

Large investment

"I'm not an accountant, I'm a planning officer, but costs will increase over time if the economy continues along its current lines.

"Abandoning the project altogether is a different kettle of fish but such a large investment has been made already that I would be surprised if they pulled out."